LGBT: Difference between revisions

[[File:Gay flag.svg|thumb|Alt=The colours of the LGBT flag in horizontal stripes. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.|The LGBT rainbow flag, based on the one designed in 1978.]]'''LGBT''' is short for "[[romantic and sexual orientation#Lesbian|Lesbian]], [[romantic and sexual orientation|Gay]], [[romantic and sexual orientation#Bisexuality|Bisexual]], and [[Transgender]]." It is the most well-known collective term for the community of gender, sex and sexuality minorities. Many towns and universities have LGBT groups for local socialising, networking, and [[activism]]. '''MOGII''' is another label for this group of people, and is short for "marginalized orientations, [[gender identity|gender identities]], and [[intersex]]." This term is the most inclusive of many kinds of [[gender nonconforming]], gender variant, and [[nonbinary]] people, as some do not necessarily identify strictly as transgender.

Queer is a reclaimed slur. Some people choose not to use an acronym, and instead use the word "[[queer]]" as a collective term for all these LGBT+ identities. It is used as a concise way of referring to all parts of the MOGII community. It's also used for all the more difficult-to-define identities that are not [[heterosexuality|heterosexual]] and/or not [[cisgender]].

There is no question that the q-slur was well-established in many countries a pejorative against gay men, lesbian women, and other MOGII people for the past hundred years (since at least 1914),<ref>''Cassell's Dictionary of Slang,'' 2nd ed (2005), p. 1161.</ref><ref>''The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English'' (2008), p. 792-793.</ref> and that it is still used that way in many countries. The degree to which the q-slur is an offensive word varies by region and by generation. In the early 1990s, the academic discipline of [[queer theory]] emerged. As a result, the q-slur has been reclaimed to such an extent that people in some academic settings aren't aware that the word is offensive at all. They use it in casual and polite conversation with no discomfort.

However, in other settings, whether rural or urban, the q-slur is one of the strongest slurs against LGBT people. In hate crime, the word is used along with or instead of strong slurs such as "fag" or "tranny". As with other hate speech, it is very common among MOGII people for the word to be a trigger for post-traumatic flashbacks of memories of violence, harassment, and abuse. As explained by [[non-gendered]] activist Christie Elan-Cane, LGBT people who are used to hearing it used as a slur don't want academics and psychologists apply it to them, and they don't like the word [[genderqueer]].<ref>Christie Elan-Cane. November 5, 2011. [http://elancane.livejournal.com/9367.html http://elancane.livejournal.com/9367.html]</ref><ref>Mac. November 7, 2011. [http://nonbinary.tumblr.com/post/12475693948/when-umbrella-terms-cause-offence-christie http://nonbinary.tumblr.com/post/12475693948/when-umbrella-terms-cause-offence-christie]</ref>

MOGII people are entitled to call themselves queer, because that is how reclaiming a slur works. However, MOGII and non-MOGII people alike should take caution about using the word for other people. Because the word is so strongly linked with violence against MOGII people, people would be considerate to avoid using the word around survivors. Out of respect, use alternative phrases. If possible, replace the phrases "queer community" with "LGBT community," and "queer literature" with "MOGII literature," for example. Unless it is specifically one's intention to talk about "genderqueer people," instead say "[[nonbinary]] people" or "[[gender variant]] people". In some contexts, it may be suitable to refer to the word euphemistically as the "q-slur." It is important to understand that this is still a painful word to many people in many countries, and to speak with that understanding.